6.1.24 Football Articles

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si.com

Will Payton Thorne outperform expectations in 2024?

Andrew Stefaniak

~2 minutes

We are heading into year two of the Hugh Freeze era at Auburn, and the hope is that this team will improve on the 6-7 record we saw a year ago.

During the 2023 season, the problem for the Auburn Tigers was the offense. The defense was solid, but the offense struggled to put points up on the board. More than anything, offensively, the passing game was an issue. Part of the issue was the lack of receivers this team had, which didn't help, but the other issue was Payton Thorne.

Heading into the 2024 season, Thorne is going to be the starting quarterback for the Auburn Tigers, barring anything crazy, so a lot of this season will be on his shoulders. The good news for Thorne is that Coach Freeze via the transfer portal and high school recruiting upgraded the receiver room to where this unit will be a strength of the team.

This means with an upgraded wide receiver room and Rivaldo Fairweather back at tight end plus one of the best running back rooms in college football, this offense should be solid. It will be solid if Thorne takes a step in the right direction from what we saw a year ago.

Freeze will be more involved in the offense than he was a year ago, and this should also help the Auburn Tigers score more points this season. If Thorne is better than we expect, this Auburn team will overachieve. If he isn't, this team will not have a great seas

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al.com

Derrick Nix on Brian Battie: ‘My heart has been heavy’

Updated: May. 31, 2024, 9:51 a.m.|Published: May. 31, 2024, 9:21 a.m.

6–8 minutes

Like many in the Auburn football community, Derrick Nix has been shocked and grief-stricken by the recent shooting of Tigers running back Brian Battie.

But it hits a little closer to home, because Nix is not only Auburn’s offensive coordinator, but also Battie’s position coach. Nix said Thursday night he and those close to him have been dealing with the circumstances — Battie remains hospitalized in Florida and reportedly might be permanently paralyzed after being shot in the head during a May 18 incident that killed his brother, Tommie — as best they can.

“My heart has been heavy,” Nix said prior to an appearance at the Annual First Light Community of Mobile Football Preview and Mobile Sports Hall of Fame induction ceremony at the Mitchell Center. “Our team, our players, our heart has been heavy. What’s going on with Brian, we pray for him. We did today as a staff.

“I try to stay in constant communication with his parents and what’s going on. I actually got a chance to go and visit with him last week. It’s unfortunate, and we’re trying to do our best to stay positive about the situation.”

Nix was part of a panel of speakers Thursday night that also included South Alabama head coach Major Applewhite, as well as the Hall of Fame inductions of Joe Gottfried, Pat White, Captain Munnerlyn, Kelli Ogden Hillier and the late Carvel “Bama” Rowell. White, the former Daphne High School, West Virginia and Miami Dolphins quarterback who is now on staff with the NFL’s Los Angeles Chargers, was also Battie’s position coach at South Florida in 2020 and asked for a moment of silent prayer for Battie and his family prior to his induction speech.

Nix grew up an Auburn fan in Attala, but followed his older brother, Tyrone, to Southern Miss after a standout career at Etowah High School. Despite missing an entire season and part of another with a kidney ailment, Nix was a three-time 1,000-yard rusher for the Golden Eagles from 1998-2002.

He later worked on staff at Southern Miss before spending 16 years in a variety of coaching roles at Ole Miss, but never lost his passion for Auburn. So when head coach Hugh Freeze in January offered him the opportunity to become the Tigers’ primary offensive playcaller, he jumped at it.

“It means everything,” Nix said. “I grew up in this state, I grew up going to Auburn (games). To get an opportunity to be a part of this great tradition, being here with coach Freeze and the culture that he’s establishing, being with these great players, being with this great community here, it means everything. I can stick my chest up high and say that I’m the offensive coordinator and running backs coach here.”

Nix will be charged with helping improve an Auburn offense that ranked 10th in the 14-team SEC in yards per game (351.2), 11th in points per game (26.2) and last in passing yards per game (162.2) in 2023, Freeze’s first year as head coach. The Tigers finished 6-7, their third consecutive losing season.

Freshman wide receiver Cam Coleman was the MVP of Auburn's A-Day spring game. (Photo by Austin Perryman/Auburn athletics)Auburn University Athletics

But Nix and the Tigers will have some new weapons this season, chief among them 5-star freshman wide receiver Cam Coleman. The former Central Phenix City star was Auburn’s A-Day spring game Most Valuable Player, when he caught four passes for 92 yards, including a 34-yard touchdown.

“I don’t want to put a cap on it,” Nix said when asked about Coleman’s potential. “I think you saw flashes of it. I think that probably the greatest asset he has right now — he’s a humble kid. He has great humility for a guy being recruited like he was recruited, coming out of high school. Going through the spring and having some success, he’s probably harder on himself than the coaching staff is, and that’s what I love about him.”

Nix was also asked about fellow star receiver recruit Perry Thompson of Foley, but demurred given that Thompson was not present for spring practice. He enrolled along with the remaining Auburn freshmen and transfers earlier this week.

“He just got here, actually,” Nix said. “He just started class Tuesday, so I’ll tell you more later.”

The man who will be throwing the ball to Coleman, Thompson and others is also a source of intrigue for the Tigers this season. Quarterback Payton Thorne had two solid seasons as a starter at Michigan State, but was less consistent in his first season at Auburn, throwing for 1,755 yards and 16 touchdowns but 10 interceptions.

Nix said Thorne has spent much of the offseason trying to “establish his leadership.”

“I think the quarterback, naturally at times, has to be that guy; he has to be an extension of the coaching staff,” Nix said. “He’s taking taking the bull by the horns, so to speak, and he’s trying to do that, football-wise. He’s doing a great job of managing and taking care of the football, making really better football decisions.”

In addition to working with the team he grew up rooting for, Nix said the chance to reunite with Freeze was a big reason he chose to come to Auburn. The two worked together at Ole Miss from 2012-16, Freeze as head coach, Nix as running backs coach.

Nix also said the opportunity to call plays was a big draw for changing jobs after 16 years with the Rebels. And despite his background as a running back and running backs coach, Nix said Auburn fans will likely see a slightly more wide-open offensive philosophy with him at the controls.

“You’ll probably see us put the ball in the air a little bit more,” Nix said. “I think though our calling card in the SEC has been being able to run the football. I think we have a strong offensive line coming back and I think we’ve got some veteran tailback. So that will always be a staple for us.”

Auburn opens the 2024 season at home Aug. 31 vs. Alabama A&M.

First Light Community of Mobile (formerly L’Arche Mobile), which celebrates its 50th anniversary in November, states as its mission that men and women with and without intellectual disabilities share life, and operates six homes and an activity center in the Mobile area. For more information, visit FirstLightCommunity.org.

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wvtm13.com

 

Georgia sets Auburn game as homecoming in Athens

Ryan Hennessy

2–3 minutes

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Stew Milne

Georgia head coach Kirby Smart, left, shakes hands with Auburn football head coach Hugh Freeze on the field prior to an NCAA football game on Saturday, Sept. 30, 2023, in Auburn, Ala. (AP Photo/Stew Milne)

SOURCE: Stew Milne

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Georgia sets Auburn game as homecoming in Athens

The Deep South's oldest rivalry this year will be in Athens on Oct. 5.Georgia has made their game against Auburn homecoming for this season.The game will also be the first home SEC game for Auburn.Auburn is going into year number two under Hugh Freeze as head coach.In an exclusive interview during the SEC spring meetings, Freeze discussed what to expect from his team this summer, leading up to opening day.

The Deep South's oldest rivalry this year will be in Athens on Oct. 5.

Georgia has made their game against Auburn homecoming for this season.

This content is imported from Twitter. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.

The game will also be the first home SEC game for Auburn.

Auburn is going into year number two under Hugh Freeze as head coach.

In an exclusive interview during the SEC spring meetings, Freeze discussed what to expect from his team this summer, leading up to opening day.

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al.com

Darius Slayton back on the field for the New York Giants

Updated: May. 31, 2024, 8:10 a.m.|Published: May. 31, 2024, 8:00 a.m.

5–7 minutes

After staying away from the New York Giants’ offseason workouts because of dissatisfaction with his contract, wide receiver Darius Slayton returned to the field this week for practices with the NFL team.

“I’m satisfied,” Slayton said on Thursday. “We got what we needed to get done. Just looking forward to getting back to playing ball. …

“We just adjusted my contract this year a little bit. Just try to make it a little more lucrative. But business is business, and I’m here.”

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The former Auburn standout signed a two-year, $12 million contract with New York last year, then had 50 receptions for 770 yards and four touchdowns in 2023 to lead the Giants in receiving yards for the fourth time in his five NFL seasons.

ESPN reported the Giants added $650,000 in incentives to Slayton’s contract for the 2024 season, boosting the total available to be earned in bonuses to $2.15 million. What Slayton needs to do to earn the incentive money has not been reported.

Slayton did not get any money added to his $2.5 million salary for 2024.

“I think anybody does, you know,” Slayton said when asked if he wanted more guaranteed money. “At the end of the day, playing a game I love, a game I dreamed about playing since I was a kid, so happy to be back with my teammates ready to go.”

Except for mandatory minicamp, scheduled for the Giants on June 11-13, attendance at the offseason program is voluntary for players.

“Right now, I don’t think there’s anything negative to Darius,” New York assistant general manager Brandon Brown said on Thursday. “The time here recently has been voluntary. He hasn’t had to be here. One, glad that he’s back. Two, gave him a big hug this morning and was, like, having not seen him for the duration of the OTA process.

“One, I’m glad Darius is back. When you look at the totality of the message it sends to the locker room, everyone knows there’s a difference between the personal and the professional and not blending how you feel about the person. We all love Darius. There’s sometimes disagreements between families, but you find a way to find common ground, which we did, and you move forward.

“We’re happy that he’s here, and we’re happy to keep moving forward with him. He’s back like he never left.”

As a wide receiver, Slayton will be dependent on more than his ability to produce the statistics that could be needed to reach his extra incentive pay.

“You’ve got to be a little delusional,” Slayton said about playing wide receiver. “You’ve got to think the ball is coming all the time, even if it may or may not. Just kind of trick yourself. At the end of the day, you can only measure yourself by when the ball comes your way, did you catch it? If it didn’t come your way, were you open? That’s kind of the reality of being a receiver.”

Since the Giants chose Slayton at No. 171 in the 2019 NFL Draft, New York has selected four wide receivers from the SEC -- Florida’s Kadarius Toney at No. 20 in 2021, Kentucky’s Wan’Dale Robinson at No. 43 in 2022, Tennessee’s Jalin Hyatt at No. 73 in 2023 and LSU’s Malik Nabers at No. 6 in 2024.

“A lot of rivals now,” Slayton said about Saturdays during the football season. “I’m sure it will be a lot of fun.”

The Giants traded Toney to the Kansas City Chiefs during the 2022 season. Robinson has 83 receptions for 752 yards and two touchdowns in 21 games in two seasons. Hyatt had 23 receptions for 373 yards as a rookie.

“I try to just live in the moment, live in this year, enjoying my time with them, enjoying my time around them,” Slayton said about the competition for targets. “Who knows what the future holds? I can’t know it anyway, so I just try to be my best day in and day out.”

Slayton said he thought he could continue to be productive even with the increase in talent at his position on the Giants’ depth chart.

“Multiple receivers play at the same time,” Slayton said. “The ball can go to lots of places. …

“You’ve got Tyreek (Hill) and Jaylen (Waddle). They both get a thousand. Ja’Marr (Chase) and Tee (Higgins). There’s a bunch of receiver tandems, even trios in the league, that all have a chance to feed and get the ball. At the end of the day, it’s on the coaches to kind of distribute the ball and get it to the guys they feel do the best with it in their hands. My job is to be one of those best guys.”

Preparing for his sixth NFL season, Slayton has more experience than all but Allen Robinson II and Isaiah McKenzie among New York’s 14 wide receivers.

“Honestly, no, but ironically, I am probably,” Slayton said when asked if he felt like an “elder statesman” in the wide-receivers room. “Got a good six or five years of age on these guys now, so I guess I am. I still feel like I’m pretty young.”

Including Friday’s workout, the Giants have eight practices remaining in their offseason program before breaking until training camp.

FOR MORE OF AL.COM’S COVERAGE OF THE NFL, GO TO OUR NFL PAGE

Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.

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I LOVE THIS!

 

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